I've seen the angel chimes, both brass and wood, at gift shops--even Marshall's--at Christmas. Just start looking at Thanksgiving, or even before, sad to say. If you want a truly wonderful, memorable Scandanavian Christmas experience, then put the Lucia celebration in early December in Boston on your calendar. Santa Lucia is a major Christmas festival in Sweden and I have celebrated it for many years, tho without a drop of Swedish blood. The good ladies of SWEA Boston have the most fantastic festival every year--lots of delicious Swedish food to eat there or bring home, lots and lots of Swedish Christmas decorations, and of couse the traditional Lucia procession. That is barely scratching the surface. One year, Will Ferrell was the host. His wife is Swedish. And sorry to say, I had never heard of him--"Who is this guy making jokes?" My kids were shocked, horrified that I was so dumb. I have been enlightened. BTW, SWEA means Swedish Women's Educational Association and it promotes Swedish culture worldwide. What fun, even if you're Irish :) Here is a link that might be useful: Lucia Day in Boston

Hello... Well...it is funny how quickly your situation can change. I was all ready to go shopping today and pick up a couple more tomato seedlings and last night, we discovered not only a rabbit in the yard for the first time, but 2 hours later, there was a groundhog in the yard! Something has been like a bull in a china shop in our perennial beds for a week and munched down all the leaves on two expensive coneflowers that were just getting ready to bloom and tasting the pole beans. We didn't know what it was until last night. He dug holes and chewed right through the bottom of our stockade fence. I don't know what to do about our veggie garden. As it is I am getting them in late and I hate the idea that no sooner will I put them in then he is going to be eating them. So I just put in the tomatoes we had and I am going to see whether he is going to bother them or not. Idabean, I did call Verrill Farm and they said they had one table left of heirloom tomatoes...Super Sweet 100 but not the Black Cherry I was looking for and Aussie which I specifically asked what she had for a large red. They may have a few other things I just asked for the specifics I needed. They have a website. VerrillFarm.com Sue, thank you so much for the offer of the black cherry. I sent you an email.

Ok I can do that tomrrow night, my DH is coming home from a business trip tonight. Maybe you can tell me what style the house is. It has 3 floors and a flat roof, its painted brick (moss green with burgandy trim, a lovely wrap around porch, a porteco(I dont know its a roof attached the house to park your car under and a carriage house that use to be the stable for horses (which is now has apartments in it also) but it has cute port hole windows. Granted I just closed on it last week. Needs freshing up with paint on the outside but that'll have to wait until next spring. I will check the salvage companies and see what they say. Im sure Ill have to email them pictures too. Thanks again!!

Now, see, Paula, I would be putting a big heart emoji here now. You guys are the best, and all of us can easily see why you do it; and when you pass the baton, all of the rest of us would love to take it up. As much as I'd like to have it here, I must admit, you are the perfect place, and even Kim can make it that far. Jack, Jay, Jacob, and the rest of you who are in the netherlands, you should try it just once. (Hmmm, is there something about J's?) You do it because you have a big heart, and you love your fellow members, and because your place is perfect. I don't see most of you as often as I'd like. . . which would be 6 blocks away, max and with 10 minutes notice for visiting. Okay half an hour away. Like many of the rest of you, the LAST thing I want to do is to leave my gardens and the property. I'd be a lot more engaged with groups and folks and clubs if I could do it at MY home. :) I HAVE gone out on a limb and connected with Amy and Eileen in the Tulsa vicinity since I have willingly foregone time away from home for that. And now, having forged a bond there, I'd probably even make up an excuse to see those two characters. AND even their hubbies! I miss George, and think of them often. I think about Jay and Jack, and Carol and so many others who don't check in often. And now Jacob. As you all have noticed, I check in here often. I moved down here four years ago. Didn't know a soul. Have many dear friends in Wyoming and Minnesota. Miss all of them so much. I pretty much know this is what drives my fondness for OKGW--I have found a community of like-minded souls that has filled the emptiness in my heart for my other friends (many of whom I still visit, virtually, or because they come visit, or because I make trips and see them.) But it came about because every time I had a gardening question to figure out, 9 times out of 10, the Google results pointed me here. And rightly so. Speaking of that, I am going to Minnesota in June. I haven't been back for nearly 2 years now. I am so excited. We had two very important life events come up in Dec. 2017. One granddaughter graduating June 7, another getting married on June 9. What were the chances. I didn't even realized it until about 2 months ago. When it finally hit me, I talked it out with GDW. As we saw it, the only option was for me to go to Mpls, and for him to go to the wedding near here. It's good, in that he'll be here to take care of the cats and dog and garden. It'll be good for me, as I'll be visiting many close friends up there. AND I get to see my revered and precious beauticians, who will fix my hair! (LOL, they have become very close friends of mine outside of the hair stuff.) Nevertheless, I'm kind of sad about it. I would so much prefer that he and I were there for both. This is certainly not a post before driving to OKC to see all of you. Well, maybe it is. I have so loved getting to know you all better, even if not in person, and will be so tickled to see you all.